An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus and a stacker that includes a discharged paper storage and a transporter, the discharged paper storage storing a sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus, and the transporter transporting the sheet to the discharged paper storage, wherein the image forming apparatus includes: an image former that forms an image on the sheet designated for a job and generates printed matter; and a hardware processor that performs control to cause the transporter to discharge a buffer sheet to the discharged paper storage, in which the printed matter is not discharged, before the job is executed, and that executes the job after the buffer sheet transported through the transporter is stored in the discharged paper storage to cause the transporter to transport the printed matter, which is generated by the image former, and cause the discharged paper storage to store the printed matter.

In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a first cassette configured to accommodate a first sheet; a second cassette configured to accommodate a second sheet different from the first sheet in at least one of a size and an orientation; a controller configured to perform control to feed the first sheet to a conveyance path from the first cassette and feed the second sheet to the conveyance path from the second cassette to insert the second sheet between respective copies if a printing instruction for a plurality of copies is issued; and a sheet discharge section configured to stack the first sheet and the second sheet.

In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a first cassette configured to accommodate a first sheet; a second cassette configured to accommodate a second sheet different from the first sheet in at least one of a size and an orientation; a controller configured to perform control to feed the first sheet to a conveyance path from the first cassette and feed the second sheet to the conveyance path from the second cassette to insert the second sheet between respective copies if a printing instruction for a plurality of copies is issued; and a sheet discharge section configured to stack the first sheet and the second sheet.

An image forming apparatus configured to change an interleaf control mode from a not confirmed sheet-feeding mode to a sheet-presence confirmed sheet-feeding mode when a remaining amount of recording sheets is less than a first threshold, wherein the image forming apparatus has a first mode of changing a feeding origin of a recording sheet, according to detection of absence of a recording sheet in a storage unit by a sheet presence/absence detection unit during execution of an image forming job, and a second mode of changing a feeding origin of a recording sheet, according to detection of a recording-sheet remaining amount of the storage unit less than a second threshold during execution of an image forming job, and wherein the second threshold is larger than the first threshold for changing an interleaf control mode.

An image forming system comprises first and second sheet feeding trays and first and second inserter trays. If sheets that are loaded in the first inserter tray run out during execution of a job in which a sheet feeding source of an insertion sheet is set to the first inserter tray, the system switches from the first inserter tray to the second inserter tray and continues execution of the job. If sheets that are loaded in the second sheet feeding tray run out during execution of a job in which a sheet feeding source is set to the second sheet feeding tray, the system temporarily stops execution of the job without switching from the second sheet feeding tray to another tray.

An image forming system includes an image forming portion, a stack portion, a specific image processing portion, and a setting processing portion. The image forming portion forms an image on a sheet based on image data. The stack portion stores a stack of sheets on which images have been formed by the image forming portion. The specific image processing portion causes the image forming portion to form a specific image on a specific sheet that is discharged to the stack portion before or after one or more sheets on which one or more images have been formed by the image forming portion based on the image data. The setting processing portion sets a specific image formation position on the specific sheet so that the specific image is formed at the specific image formation position.

A method for distinguishing a page set is presented. The method includes receiving multiple page sets. A first page or a last page of each page set marked with an identifier. The method also includes scanning a page of the multiple page sets. The method further includes determining whether the scanned page comprises the identifier and one or more of a false positive identifier or a color changed identifier. The method still further includes distinguishing the page set, corresponding to the scanned page, from other page sets of the multiple of page sets when the scanned page includes the identifier.

An image formation system includes: a hardware processor that forms an image on a sheet based on a printing job, reads an output image formed on the sheet, assesses a quality of the output image based on the read output image, executes an invalid sheet process when an abnormal image is detected, interrupts the printing job when a time-over has occurred after executing the invalid sheet process; and restarts the printing job after inserting a divider sheet that indicates an occurrence of the time-over. The time-over occurs when quality assessment of the output image is completed outside of a predetermined time.

If an inter sheet on a designated feed tray during execution of a print job is lacking, and when a setting received via an operation unit is for a first mode, a control unit switches a feed source from the designated feed tray to another feed tray on which an inter sheet of the same size has been placed and continues the print job, and when the setting is for a second mode, interrupts the print job without switching the feed source from the designated feed tray to another feed tray. In a case where a plurality of feed trays are designated as a feed source, the control unit interrupts the print job without switching the feed source from the feed tray in which the inter sheet is lacking to another feed tray even if the setting is for the first mode.

Provided are a finisher, a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium and a method for controlling transportation of media sheets. The finisher includes a sheet transporter, a sheet cutter for dividing each printed media sheet into multiple cut media sheets by cutting, a sheet inserter that inserts insertion sheets into the sheet path, a sheet stacker for stacking the cut media sheets and the insertion sheets transported by the sheet transporter, a sheet buffer disposed on a branch line branching off from the sheet path, and a controller. The controller sets a sheet insertion mode to a pre-sheet insertion mode or a post-sheet insertion mode, and causes the sheet transporter to transport a part of cut media sheets or an insertion sheet into the sheet buffer and change the order of the sheets in the sheet path so that the insertion sheet is positioned between the cut media sheets.